Reubin Askew: Former Florida governor dead at 85

Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew, who guided the state through a period of school busing to achieve integration in the 1970s, died early Thursday.

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Reubin Askew

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew, who guided the state through a period of school busing to achieve integration in the 1970s, died early Thursday. He was 85.

Ron Sachs, a former aide, told The Associated Press that Askew died surrounded by family members at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.

Askew rose from obscurity in the Florida Legislature to become the Democrats' surprise gubernatorial nominee in 1970 and then beat the incumbent Republican, Claude Kirk.

Askew's eight years in office coincided with the end of the Vietnam War, Watergate and dramatic social change across the nation.

Askew was a liberal on racial issues and crusaded for overhauling the state's tax laws, open government, environmental protection, ethics legislation and streamlining the courts and other governmental agencies.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.